First person : Stage set for EC notification, BJP tickets :::: Meanwhile FRUSTRATION grips Naga activist

My friend says,  “NOTA and the horse race is all that matters"

New Delhi 

A chance meeting with an old friend and a social activist from Nagaland in the chilly rain-fed evening at the Delhi Haat on Monday throws up some lessons and some pointers to reflect upon.

Blogger in Dimapur  

The friend looks gloomy but a hospitable man that he always was offers

snacks in 'Nagaland counter'. As the food comes, he wipes his nose and

then puts handkerchief over his teary eyes. Asked repeatedly, he shares his

agony - "I feel like not going back home".

Of course by Jan 30 evening the stage is set for Election Commission notification for the polls -- which according to the friend will continue "with what we have - the rot". The BJP tickets for Feb 27 elections could be announced anytime and even on that front he finds nothing to be excited about.

"The saffron party has decided to purchase a few seats by coughing up lot of money only to lose....Democracy is not for people, it is for fun and thus a tool of sheer manipulation," the friend laments. 

 

Just then he gets a call. He is told about the ENPO meeting at Guwahati wherein 40 tribal leaders and representatives fighting for separate statehood for Eastern Nagaland held a meeting with key officials from the Government of India. "This meeting also went off like that... like it happens with every meeting. They met and spoke and decided to have another round of meeting on Tuesday," says the Naga social activist and hastens to add, "I have given up thinking anything positive now. Today I understand what people might have thought in Kashmir or Indians and Pakistanis thought during partition in 1947.... There is no glimmer of hopes".   

"I am also writing for a Nagaland newspaper....," -- I tell my friend. He gives a vague look.

He pulls out a piece of paper and says, "This is a copy of 2013 judgement by the Supreme Court on NOTA votes.... I am in NOTO mood now. The verdict said -- Negative voting will lead to a systemic change in polls and political parties will be forced to project clean candidates".

Did this NOTA thing really impact the results or anything in terms of outcome politically in India? -- my friend asks.

Just when I try to distract him asking about his old girl friends and new love for booze, he advises almost in a tone of order that only a good Naga friend can give, "You stop writing man, our people are laughing at you".

We part ways with the promise to meet during the coming weekend and then a thought hits me -- what does this disillusionment of my friend with the political system actually means.

“The horse race is all that matters...," I recall a sentence by Bruce Bartlett, a former associate of Ronald Regan.

In the Metro train compartment as I surf internet about Barlett, I come across his 2012 piece wherein he says, "...it’s unattractive and bad form to say “I told you so” when one’s advice was ignored yet ultimately proved correct".

ends 

BJP-NDPP seat share mess open avenues for AAP 

The AAP is eyeing the avenues for crucial entry into Nagaland assembly with a bang. 

High ambition will be to win in double figures and moderately good show in the context of Nagaland will be 4-5 seats as the party has formally plunged into the 2023 electoral battle only recently. 

Former legislator Asu Keyho is now the president of the party and as he hails from Western Angami constituency and is a former Speaker of Naga Students' Federation (NSF), there is already much enthusiasm.

"There is a lot of commonality between the AAP way of fighting as a party and my own political struggle. I also hail from an ordinary family and our party AAP will cater genuinely to the aspirations of the local Naga people," Asu told 'Nagaland Page'.

"The decision to launch the AAP was an important political event for Nagaland. The  AAP will create history in the state both in short term and long term perspectives," he said. The man who as an Independent had defeated N T Nakhro of Congress in 1998 polls, Asu is however -- an ear on ground politician.

Asu with Kejrwal and another AAP leader 

"No matter how you try, you cannot drag me to open my mouth on controversial issues. Our central leadership has also made it clear that we have to appreciate the sensitivity involved in Naga political issues," he says.

Answering a question, he said "One issue we will seriously work on is to implement a professional and genuine Recruitment Policy. We will ensure to implement transparency and assure meritorious recruitment policy in the manner of 80 per cent marks from written, 10 percent from academic and 10 percent from oral interview. One of the root causes of corruption is in the faulty job policy".

But some of his colleagues admit, the "mess" in the BJP-NDPP seat share talks will open greater avenues for the AAP. 

"Our party benefited from the politics of chaos in Punjab. There it was Congress and Akali Dal. In Nagaland, NDPP and BJP are indirectly helping us by providing us the political fodder for initial body warming," one leader confessed.

Another source said many sitting NDPP and BJP legislators and ticket aspirants from all other parties have been sending 'feelers' and are keen to join the AAP. "The enthusiasm is great...but it is always better to go slow. You will get some news after Feb 2," the source indicated.

AAP in-charge for North East Rajesh Sharma is likely to visit Dimapur on Tuesday and he could meet a few of the party ticket aspirants.

ends